OAB

Overview

The Exame de Ordem Unificado (OAB exam) is Brazil's national bar exam. The Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil (OAB), through its Conselho Federal, requires every law graduate to pass it before they can register as an advogado and practise law anywhere in the country. Article 8, item IV of the Statute of the Legal Profession (Lei 8.906/1994) makes passing the exam a legal condition for registration, so it is mandatory for all law graduates, not an optional credential.

The Conselho Federal da OAB sets the rules for the exam, and the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) organises and runs it nationwide under its own responsibility. The exam is held three times a year, and each sitting is numbered as its own edition (for example, the 46th, 47th and 48th editions ran across 2026 and early 2027). Because every law graduate in Brazil needs to pass it, it is one of the highest-volume professional exams in the country.

Who can apply

• You must have graduated from a law course (bacharelado em Direito) recognised by the Ministry of Education, even if your diploma is still being processed.

• Students in the final two semesters of their law course can also register and sit the exam before they graduate.

• Passing both phases is a precondition for definitive registration with the OAB; graduating from law school alone does not let you practise as a lawyer.

Phases

The exam has two mandatory, pass/fail phases. You must pass Phase 1 before you can sit Phase 2.

Phase 1 — Prova Objetiva

A closed-book, multiple-choice test covering around 17 areas of Brazilian law, with the questions spread unevenly across them. Professional Ethics (Ética Profissional) carries the largest single share of questions, and core areas such as Constitutional, Civil, Criminal, Labour and Tax law each carry several questions too, alongside lighter coverage of areas like Consumer law, Environmental law and Human Rights.

Phase 2 — Prova Prático-Profissional

A written, practical test in one area of law that you choose when you register for this phase: Direito Civil, Direito Penal, Direito do Trabalho, Direito Tributário, Direito Constitucional, Direito Administrativo or Direito Empresarial. It has one practical/procedural piece (peça profissional) plus four short discursive questions, all in your chosen area.

If you pass Phase 1 but fail Phase 2, your Phase 1 pass carries over once, into the immediately following exam edition only, so you do not have to repeat Phase 1 for that one attempt.

Exam pattern

Marking and results

• Phase 1: You need at least 40 correct answers out of 80 (50%) to pass. There is no separate minimum per subject area; only the total count of correct answers matters. FGV publishes a preliminary answer key before the final result, and candidates can file appeals against it.

• Phase 2: The piece and the four discursive questions together are worth 10.0 points, and you need a total of at least 6.0 points to pass. As with Phase 1, FGV publishes a preliminary answer standard before the final result, with a window to appeal.

• Once you pass both phases, FGV and the Conselho Federal issue a Certificado de Aprovação no Exame de Ordem, which you then use to apply for definitive registration with your state's OAB chapter (seccional).

Important dates

The exam runs three times a year; dates below are for the editions covering the 2026/2027 cycle.

Check the current edital on the FGV exam portal for the exact city-level schedule and any updates to these dates.

Fees

For the 2026 editions (47º and 48º Exame de Ordem), the registration fee is R$350. Candidates registered in the Cadastro Único para Programas Sociais do Governo Federal (CadÚnico) can apply for a fee exemption during the same registration window, by submitting the supporting documents the edital asks for on the FGV portal.

How to apply

1. Confirm you meet the eligibility rules (graduated, or in the final two semesters of your law course).

2. Register online during the announced window on the FGV exam portal (oab.fgv.br), choosing the state and city where you want to sit the exam.

3. Pay the registration fee by the deadline in the edital, or submit your CadÚnico exemption request in the same window.

4. Download your exam details closer to the date and sit Phase 1.

5. If you pass Phase 1, register your chosen law area for Phase 2 and sit that exam on its scheduled date.

After the exam

Passing both phases does not register you as a lawyer by itself. You still need to apply for definitive registration (inscrição definitiva) with the OAB chapter (seccional) in your state, submitting your law degree or graduation certificate, identification documents, proof of address and the other papers your seccional asks for, along with your Certificado de Aprovação no Exame de Ordem. Once your registration is approved, you are called to a swearing-in ceremony, after which you receive your OAB card and registration number and can practise law anywhere in Brazil.

Preparation tips

• In Phase 1, study time should follow the question weighting: Professional Ethics alone carries the most individual questions, so it is worth mastering even though it is a single compact subject.

• Choose your Phase 2 area based on genuine familiarity from your degree or work experience, rather than picking whichever area has the best headline pass rate that year.

• Because no materials are allowed in Phase 1, practise working from memory under timed conditions rather than relying on looking things up during the exam.

• Remember that a Phase 1 pass only carries over once, into the next edition — do not treat it as a standing qualification if you keep failing Phase 2.

FAQs